Fifteen charter members, meeting under a brush arbor at this site on May 14, 1865, organized the First Baptist Church and chose the Rev. John C. Averitt (1818-1895) as the first pastor. Worship services were held in private homes and later in the Masonic Hall on the east side of the town square. After a successful interdenominational revival, the Baptists decided to erect a permanent church building. The congregation bought the site of the old brush arbor and in 1877 built a simple frame church. A bell installed in the steeple heralded special events to the community. Another successful revival in 1898 emphasized the need for a larger structure. More land was acquired and the present church building constructed in 1900. A combination of several architectural styles, the brick edifice is topped by a roof of pressed metal. The exterior walls of the sanctuary form a multisided projection flanked by matching towers with steeply pitched roofs. The bell from the 1877 church was transferred to the north belfry. Educational buildings were added in 1938 and 1955-56. This congregation provides many community-oriented services, including a church-sponsored library. Several well-known Baptist leaders served as pastor here.**Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1977***
First Baptist Church of Farmersville
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
First Baptist Church of Farmersville is a historical marker in Farmersville, Collin County, dedicated in 1977. It is one of 193 historical markers documented in Collin County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 345 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 33.1625, -96.3613 near Farmersville. The nearest cataloged historic site is Audie Murphy's Homecoming, June 15, 1945 (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include First National Bank of Farmersville, Aston Building, and Farmersville Masonic Lodge No. 214, A.F. & A.M..
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5085006133. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
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